The second day of school started off with less febrility, but with just as much enthusiasm, and Felix was determined to do better. He joked with his friends, ate a healthy breakfast, and the four 1st years then found their way to their first class of the day: Transfiguration.

There was no denying Felix was anxious – he'd never attempted a transfiguration spell before. But surely it couldn't go as badly as it did in Charms, right?

Their teacher was actually the Vice-Principal, Miss Sunmi, and she briefly reintroduced herself to everyone before immediately moving on to the actual class. Felix listened with rapt attention, trying to commit everything she said to memory so that once the time to practice came, he'd be ready. They learned the basics of the Transfiguration alphabet, and then the transformation formula, and the teacher then proceeded to offer a few examples, such as turning her desk into a pig.

About twenty minutes before the end of class, they moved on to the practical aspect, and Felix pulled out his wand with a slightly trembling hand.

You can do it, you can do it, you can do it, you can do it—!

The exercise was simple: turning a match into a needle. Felix wasn't too worried regarding a successful transformation – Miss Sunmi had already warned them that Transfiguration was very hard magic, and that she didn't expect any of the students to succeed in the exercise before at least their fifth class together.

All he wanted was to not mess it up too terribly. If he could just do it like any average student, then he'd be more than content with the results.

"Wanna try first?" suggested Jisung with a small smile – his desk partner for transfiguration.

Exhaling deeply, Felix nodded, and focused on the match before them. He pictured the formula they had just learned in his head, imagined in great details the match taking the appearance of a needle, waved his wand—

Nothing. Absolutely nothing happened.

"Well, better than an explosion," he sighed, both relieved and disappointed. "Why don't you give it a try, Sungie?"

With an encouraging smile and a determined nod, Jisung lifted his wand. His eyes narrowed in concentration, he mumbled the incantation under his breath... and much to their surprise, the match suddenly shifted. Their startled gasps instantly earned the attention of their friends, and Seungmin's eyes widened.

"You did it!"

That exclamation drew the attention of the students around them and their teacher, who quickly hurried up to their desk. She picked up their item to examine it more closely and, a few seconds later, a proud smile bloomed on her lips.

"Well, would you look at that! A perfect transfiguration on your first go! Were you in a House, I'd have awarded you thirty points for this amazing display of skills, Mr. Han."

"T- thank you!"

Jisung was the first surprised by his success but, now that the shock had worn off, Felix realized that it made sense. Jisung had always been quite brilliant and creative, he had always had a knack for minor illusions, and he had already started studying some books in order to become an animagus just because he thought it was cool – in other terms, he had the perfect mind for Transfiguration.

"You're amazing, Jisung," breathed out Felix with stars in his eyes.

"Ah, I'm just a natural, I guess..." chuckled the boy, rubbing the back of his head. Although he always enjoyed being praised, Felix's earnest words always managed to make his heart beat a little faster. "A- anyway, you should try again! I'm sure that with some practice, you'll get it in no time!"

"R- right!"

.

In the end, only Jisung managed a full transfiguration. Seungmin and another boy had managed a partial one, which also impressed their teacher, but the rest of the class would simply have to work on it. Felix was quite glad to have scored a place among the average students, rather than rock-bottom, so it was with a skip in his step that he headed outside with his friends for their second class of the day: Herbology.

The freckled boy was quite excited about this particular glass. He had always been quite adept with plants, and he couldn't wait to learn more about the magical aspect of his natural green thumb – they hadn't been allowed to grow magical plants back home because of the mixed backgrounds of some of the residents.

All of the students shuffled inside the greenhouse where their classes would be held, and Felix bit his lower in excitement as he gazed at all of the potted plants stocking up the shelves, the tables, and even the floor. He recognized a few of them from books he had borrowed from their older friends, and he was impatient to get started.

"Good morning everyone," greeted cheerfully their teacher as he stepped inside, making his way to the top of the large table around which everyone had gathered. "My name is Lee Minhyuk. You may address me as Professor Lee and nothing else because I haven't gone through years of hellish studying for people to not use my hard-earned title, and I look forward to our time together. So, without wasting any more time, let's get started!"

Professor Lee was a rather spirited man who encouraged his students to speak up and ask questions at any given time. He often went off on a random tangent about one excursion or the other had had participated in his younger years, and he obviously loved the subject he was teaching.

Since it was only their first year, they would mostly focus on the theoretical aspect of Herbology – how to identify different plants, their use and rarity, how to deal with the more common ones, etc, etc. However, their teacher promised that contrarily to how they used to teach in the past, they would still have practical lessons, to which Felix was seriously looking forward to.

In order to conclude their first class together, their teacher decided to conduct a little test – he handed each student a very small pot of soil in which a seed had been planted.

"I want you to place your hands around the pot," he instructed, also doing it to show them how to do it. "Close your eyes and focus your magic into the soil and the seed planted in it. Don't try to channel it – just let your magic flow freely."

Well, that was good, because control was not Felix's forte. Still quite excited, the boy eagerly did as told and grabbed hit little pot. Closing his eyes, he focused on the magic he could feel tingling underneath his skin – a feeling he had learned to tune out growing up – and tried his best to direct it into the seed, as per instructed.

All around him, startled gasps started echoing. Cracking an eye open to glance around, he found that one after the other, the rest of the students had somehow managed to make a sprout burst out of the soil – barely a few centimeters tall, but noticeable, nonetheless. With a frown, he noticed that his own pot was still empty. He closed his eyes a little tighter, gritting his teeth as he tried to focus more magic into it. For once that he didn't have to use a spell or an incantation, why wasn't it working?

Come on, come on, come on, just a little more, a little bit more—

"Felix!"

Jeongin's surprised shout made his eyes snap open, and his jaw instantly dropped as he noticed the sprout bursting through the soil of his pot. At first overjoyed, he quickly realized that, for some reason, the sprout kept on growing. Roots suddenly burst out from the sides of the pot. 

With a startled yelp, Felix instantly dropped it back onto the table, and the soil spilled all over it. And yet, the plant kept on growing, the roots becoming thicker and a large bud forming at the top of the sprout, only to bloom a few seconds later into a beautiful, big sunflower – or at least, something similar to it.

There was a moment of silence as all of the students stared at the end result of Felix's test – the plant was about half-as-tall as Felix, and the yellow flower was practically bigger than his head. The roots were half-spread all over the table – and had knocked over the pots of some other students – and half-hanging from it, just shy of touching the paved floor.

"... magnificent!" Everyone jumped at the teacher's sudden exclamation, effectively breaking the silence. "Absolutely brilliant! I've never seen a student make a Dragon Lily bloom fully with only their inner magic." He looked absolutely ecstatic. "You obviously have an amazing connection with nature, young man! Incredible!"

Felix gawked at him for a few moments, taken aback. He had lost control, made a mess, and even destroyed the pots of a few other students – and yet, the teacher was outright praising him.

It was the first time someone praised Felix's magic.

"Thank- thank you, sir," he managed to stutter out, his heart fluttering with happiness. "And, um, sorry for the mess. I'll- I'll help clean it up—"

"No, no, no, no, no, don't touch it!" warned Professor Lee, his eyes going almost comically wide behind his glasses. "As beautiful and harmless as the Dragon Lily may appear, its roots are very dangerous! Can someone tell me what they do?"

Seungmin instantly raised his hand. "The roots will break at the slightest disturbance and will release a toxin than can cause third-degree burns, boils, and blisters. An antidote can be made from the petals of the flower, but it takes weeks, and during that time the burning sensation never lessens – hence the Dragon in its name."

"Excellent! You're absolutely right! The serum is very sought after for a large variety of potions, and so are all of the other parts of the flower, but one must be very careful when harvesting it," nodded Professor Lee with a proud smile. "With that being said, leave the clean-up to me. If I sent any of my students to the infirmary on the second day of school, Doctor Kim would have my head!"

Whatever tension was left broke as the students laughed a little, and Felix exhaled a sigh of relief upon realizing that he truly wasn't in trouble, after all. With a small smile, he reported his attention to the beautiful flower before him.

Herbology was now officially his favorite class.

.

After another eventful lunchtime with their older friends – who were just as overjoyed as Felix when he shared just how great the day had been going for him so far – the 1st years found their way outside for their third class of the day: flying lessons.

Felix was not looking forward to it.

"Cheer up, Lix! It's been a good day for you so far, hasn't it? Why would Flight go any differently?" pointed out Jeongin, trying to cheer him up.

"Because Fate hates me and doesn't like me being happy for so long?"

Jisung yelped dramatically, grabbing Felix's shoulders to shake him a bit. "Hyunjin, get out of my twin right now!!!"

"Gah, let go!"

"Why are you guys so noisy..." groaned Seungmin, annoyed that they were attracting attention yet again.

Felix was even more anxious by the time they reached the open field where Flight class would take place. Many students were already there with their brooms, and the freckled boy glanced at the one he was holding. It was an old thing, but a sturdy one – it was the broom which had lasted him the longest amongst all of the ones he had accidentally destroyed or damaged over the years, and he simply hoped that it would hold out for a little longer. Or at least, until he figured out how to fly without pulverizing his broom each time.

Since they were all more or less fifteen-years-old, only actual muggleborns had never had any experience with flying on a broom, hence the mandatory lessons in 1st year. It was also considered the equivalent of muggle P.E., a good way to keep the students in shape and to help them work through any extra energy.

Their teacher introduced herself as Miss Jessi, and she was quick to lay down her ground rules: no flying without supervision, no flying without her say-so, and no impromptu game of tag until at least the second week of school. Any and all potential injury was to be reported to her straight away, and she promised a month of detention to any student who might try to hide the slightest sprain or bruise from her.

Those were reasonable rules, Felix figured, though it didn't help his nervousness in the least. Was it wrong of him to hope that at least one other student would fail just like he was doomed to? Probably, he felt bad just thinking about it.

"Alright, everyone – on your brooms!" instructed their teacher.

Everyone eagerly did as told, though Felix did it with noticeable less enthusiasm. He had long since given up on the "you can do it if you believe hard enough" motto Chan had introduced to him when they were younger – or at least, when it came to flying.

He simply hoped he wouldn't get hurt too badly.

"And now... kick off! Literally! Kick the ground and focus on the image of the broom lifting up on its own!"

That part was easy, right?

Kick off, focus, fly – three steps. You can do this much!

As long as Felix could get it to hover a bit, he'd be happy. Unfortunately, as each student started taking off one after the other, he found himself unable to leave firm ground. He started growing frustrated when his friends – who had been waiting on the ground for him – eventually had to join the rest of their classmates up there.

Come on, come on, come on, just work you stupid thing—!

"Whoa!"

Without warning, the broom suddenly took off.

It only took two seconds for Felix to wish he had stayed stuck to the ground, after all.

"WATCH OUT!!!"

The broom was completely out of control, flying up and down in sickening zigzags so fast Felix was forced to close his eyes if he didn't want to become blinded by the biting wind – but obviously, closing your eyes when flying wasn't exactly a good idea.

"Lee Felix!!!" exclaimed his teacher somewhere in the distance. "Get back to the ground this instant—"

"I would if I could!!!"

Or at least, that's what he tried to say. At the speed he was going, his words were mostly gibberish. Screams and shouts echoed from the other students had Felix almost flew into some of them, his broom swerving abruptly for absolutely no reason—

"FELIX! WATCH OUT!"

Jisung's warning came too late. One moment Felix was flying and, the next, he violently collided with a tree on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. A loud 'CRACK' echoed, though he couldn't tell if it was from the tree, from a bone, or from his head. His body was thrown off like a ragdoll and crashed into the grass, dragging for a few meters before finally coming to a stop.

Felix's head was spinning, his ears were buzzing, everything hurt, and he felt like he was going to be sick at any given second, now. He could make out shadows looming over him and muffled voices in the background, but darkness overwhelmed him before he could try and reassure his friends that he was alright.

.

Felix was not, in fact, alright.

"You stupid, reckless boy—"

"Ugh..."

Hyunjin sighed angrily as he finished sticking a bandage to Felix's nose. It had broken upon impact but, thankfully, Doctor Kim had managed to heal it completely – saved for a little scratch over the bridge of his nose, which would apparently scar. Hyunjin had been in the infirmary when Miss Jessi had carried an unconscious, injured Felix inside, with Jeongin, Seungmin, and Jisung hot on her heels. Needless to say, he hadn't been exactly happy with Felix's sorry state.

"You're extremely lucky Madam Kim is such a talented healer!" he seethed, grabbing a vial on the bedside table. "Drink this. Now!"

Hyunjin rarely ever got angry, even less so at his friends. When he did, though, it was usually out of care, concern, or worry for them. So, Felix didn't take his anger to heart, and simply did as told, not wanting to irritate his friend even more. He almost gagged as the nasty potion slid down his throat, but obediently swallowed all of it. Once he was done, he returned the empty vial with a grimace.

"What- what was that one for?"

"Oh, that was just expired pumpkin juice. Don't ever do that again or I'll make you drink an entire barrel."

"What—Hyunjin!!!"

The Hufflepuff sighed, the last of his anger dissipating as he slumped in the chair next to Felix's bed. In the end, most of Felix's injuries – albeit quite numerous – had been minor, and the worse was the concussion, but Doctor Kim had already given him a potion for that.

"What- what are you doing here, Hyunjin?" he then asked, a bit curious.

"I came here to ask Doctor Kim for specialized training," answered the taller boy, offering him a small smile. "Since I want to become a Healer, I figured I might as well get a head-start, right? So I decided to volunteer at the infirmary on the weekends, during club hours – I was just coming here today to confirm my schedule with Doctor Kim."

Hyunjin was barely a few months older than the 1st years, but it had allowed him to go ahead and enroll with their slightly older friends the year before. He had always been a caring friend who enjoyed helping people, and he had developed his interest and passion for healing quite young.

As he grew up, people often told him that he wouldn't need to make much effort in order to succeed. Hyunjin was turning into quite the beautiful man, after all, and beauty was a valued trait in any society – he could easily become a model for Witch Hebdo or any other magazine, or even an ambassador for their community.

Felix always loved to say that he was so beautiful inside, it simply had to spill out at some point and affect his appearance – and the thought always managed to make Hyunjin smile, but what other people thought of him still stung.

Hyunjin absolutely hated when his worth was reduced to his appearance. Becoming a Healer wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to become someone who could help people, and he had already set his sights on a future at St. Mungo's.

Beyond simply healing people, though, he wanted to become talented enough to be able to treat diseases their society believed untreatable.

He wanted to prove to everyone that he was more than just a pretty face. He wanted to become the best healer in the world, no matter how hard he had to work for it. And, as crazy as his dream might appear sometimes, his friends were ready to support him through all of his endeavors.

So, for Hyunjin to seek out the professional guidance of the Healer currently working at Hogwarts was only a natural step to take in direction of the future he wanted.

Felix could only smile at the thought.

"You're gonna do great, Hyunjin," he assured softly, before gesturing to the bandage on his nose with a laugh. "See? You're already patching me up like a real healer!"

Hyunjin half-glared at that. "Do not make a habit of this."

"But it helps you get more practice, doesn't it?" he replied cheekily.

"I swear to Merlin, Lee Felix, if you start making weekly visits to the infirmary as a patient, I will personally strap you down to this bed and—"

"Are you threatening your patient, Hwang?"

The boy instantly paled, glancing behind him as Doctor Kim Solar slowly made her way out of her office with a stack of papers in hand – probably Felix's brand-new medical file.

"I- I was just—"

She snorted. "Don't make that face, kid. Us Healers need to be strict and to put our foot down if we want our patients to listen to us. With that being said..." She narrowed her eyes at Felix, who gulped. "He's right – do not make this a habit. If I find out you've rammed yourself into a tree at full flying speed again, I'm the one who'll be strapping you down to this bed."

"No- noted."

With a nod, she then handed the file to Hyunjin and started explaining some of the medical terms used in it. Understanding the silent order to rest, Felix simply laid back down on the bed and closed his eyes, the numerous potions he had ingested taking their toll on his already battered body.

He couldn't help but smile as Doctor Kim's explanations and Hyunjin's soft questions lulled him to sleep – it was nice to see one of his friends already accomplishing part of his dream.

.

Felix was a little saddened to miss the first period of his Discovery Course – he had picked Care of Magical Creatures, and he had been really looking forward to it. However, it's not like he could have walked in his current state, let alone have attended class. 

Doctor Kim confirmed that he would be allowed to go his regular lessons starting next afternoon, so long as he spent the night in the infirmary so he could recuperate properly. He couldn't lie and say he was disappointed to miss his second period of History of Magic, but he was a little disturbed at spending the night outside of his dorm.

Felix had never slept in a room alone, before. He had always been surrounded by his friends, sometimes even sharing the same bed because they all enjoyed skin-ship, and so to know he would be spending the night completely on his own scared him a bit. 

All of his friends came to hang out once classes were over for the day. Jeongin, Jisung, and Seungmin told him about their respective Discovery Courses (they had all picked a different class in regard to their respective interests, and it was the only class they didn't share that year), while the older four were mostly there to check up on him and scold him for his recklessness.

Doctor Kim wasn't too fond of the students disturbing her patient and unnecessarily taking up space in her infirmary so, as soon as they were done with dinner, she had kicked out all of them. Only Hyunjin was allowed to stick around for a little longer, and it was only so she could start showing him basic aftercare, general check-up, and the signs to look for in case a patient had an adverse reaction to a certain potion.

Thankfully, as scared as Felix had been at the thought of sleeping alone, his general exhaustion and the accelerated healing his body had been put through quickly caught up to him and, with the help of a sleeping potion, he slipped into the lands of dreams without issue.

.

The next morning, Hyunjin dropped by with Jeongin, the first to check on Felix, and the other bringing him breakfast. Doctor Kim was satisfied with his healing process and confirmed that, if he could stand on his own came third period, then he would be allowed to leave.

Felix used his forced bed rest to read up on the notes Seungmin had been kind enough to bring him when he dropped by earlier for a few minutes, and so the first part of the day was spent quite uneventfully. The freckled boy was more than happy when he was finally allowed to leave, and he was even happier to find Jisung waiting for him outside so they could head to their double-period of Charms together.

"How was History?" he asked, morbidly curious.

"Terrible. At first the teacher wanted to give you another detention for skipping, but Seungmin was quick to give her the note Doctor Kim wrote on your behalf, so you're fine – even if she was really pissed about it."

Felix sighed, shaking his head. "Barely the third day of school and one of the teachers already hates my guts..."

"She's just a stupid old cow, don't mind her too much," snorted Jisung.

Felix slapped his shoulder in warning – the last thing they needed was a teacher overhearing them – but he didn't disagree, and Jisung burst out in giggles. Felix rolled his eyes a bit but couldn't stop a smile from stretching his lips.

.

Despite his best efforts, Felix did end up setting fire to yet another book when he once again tried to the Levitation spell. However, his mood brightened up when their double-period of Charms ended, meaning it was finally time for his Discovery Course. 

Seungmin was the first to split up from the group, excitedly heading for his Arithmancy class. Jisung was next with his Conjuration class and, eventually, Jeongin also left for his Divination class. Felix thus headed outside on his own, but he didn't mind too much, knowing he'd have a lot to share with his friends when they reunited again for dinner.

Care of Magical Creatures was given outside, and Felix made a mental note to buy another sweater for when winter arrived. It was already a bit chilly, but the boy was a little too excited to care at the moment. It took him a few minutes of walking, but he finally reached the open field where the "farm" of the school had been built. Following certain issues in the previous years, the school had decided to invest in proper infrastructures so that the course could be given in a safe and controlled space.

Hogwarts now had its very own menagerie. There was the open field, with the Forbidden Forest to its right, and a shallower part of the lake on the left. There were very big stables, a greenhouse, an aviary, and even a large sandpit surrounded by a fence.

Felix could only wonder about what kind of creatures he would be dealing with during class, more than eager to finally get started.

"Ah, Mr. Lee, I presume?"

The boy startled a bit, before offering a nod at the man who had just shown up. "Y- yes, it's me. I'm very sorry for missing the first class yesterday, sir."

"No worries to be had, Doctor Kim informed me of your circumstances," assured the man whom Felix assumed was—"Professor Changmin, nice to have you on board. To be frank, you didn't miss much yesterday – it was mostly an overview of what we will be doing this year, which creatures we will be working with, and what kind of work will be expected from you seeing as you can't be directly graded on the subject taught since this is a Discovery Course. In any case, if you have any questions by the end of the class, don't hesitate to ask me or one of your classmates."

"Will do!"

The man chuckled slightly at his enthusiasm, before gesturing for him to follow him inside the stables. There was a second floor that could be accessed with a ladder, and the entire floor was occupied with desks, chairs, and a blackboard – a proper classroom, despite the unusual environment.

While the teacher went to stand at the front to greet the class, Felix's enthusiasm dimmed a bit, his anxiousness creeping back up. The students present were all more or less familiar faces since they were fellow 1st years, but Felix didn't know any of them. Their staring didn't help. The quiet whispers didn't help. The small giggling as he stood awkwardly on the side didn't help. He quickly scanned the group, easily spotting an empty seat but, the moment he made a move toward it, a bag was unceremoniously dropped on it.

Felix tried not to let it get to him, deciding to believe that the boy to whom the bag belonged to simply hadn't noticed him. So, he spotted another empty seat—

"Sorry, my friend will be there soon."

Felix offered a small smile of understanding at the girl, ignoring the twitch in his heart – he would do the same for his friends if someone was late, so he really shouldn't take it personally.

But then the same thing happened to the next desk, and the fourth one too, and by the time he reached the fifth one, the chair had outright disappeared. At that point, he could no longer ignore the muffled giggles in the background, and Felix's remaining enthusiasm went out like a candle flame dumped in water.

Fighting back his tears, he trudged back to the very last row of desks and sat behind the one in the corner – though he quickly realized why no one had decided to sit there, as a cold breeze slipped through a crack in the window. He shuddered, but he didn't make a move to get up – he'd probably end up having to sit on the floor, and he didn't want to disturb the class that had just started.

Felix forced himself to keep a positive mind. Even if his classmates were a little mean, it wouldn't deter him from enjoying the class and, once Professor Changmin started the lesson, he made a point of participating as much as he could. If he showed that he was interested and that he actually knew what he was doing, maybe his classmates would warm up to him?

.

As per usual, all eight friends gathered together for dinner once classes were over for the day. It didn't take long for conversations to pick up left and right, everyone talking about their respective classes with varying degrees of enthusiasm but, for once, Felix couldn't bring himself to join in. He was too busy replaying what had happened in his last class to really pay attention to anything else. Had he done something wrong? Had he said something that might have angered the other students? Were they scared by the rumors already surrounding him and his friends? Would they—

"—lix...! FELIX!"

He startled so badly, he knocked over his pumpkin juice, and it instantly spilled all over the table. There was a moment of stunned silence before Chan pulled out his wand and used a cleaning spell under his breath to get rid of the mess.

"Lix... Are you okay?" asked hesitantly Hyunjin, the one who had been previously calling out to him. "Are you still hurting somewhere?"

"N- no, I'm perfectly fine," he quickly assured. His friends' unconvinced looks quickly made him change his tune, though, and he lowered his eyes. "It's just... I- I don't think my classmates in Care of Magical Creatures like me all that much... In- in fact, I'm pretty sure they all hate me, for some reason..."

"What? No way," instantly scoffed Jisung. "How could they hate you? How could anyone hate you?"

"But- but no one wanted to sit next to me, and- and they were glaring every time I gave the right answer, and—"

"Lix, they're probably just a little jealous because you're already so knowledgeable about magical creatures," suggested calmly Chan. "Plus, all four of you have been sticking together since the beginning of school, so it's not like you gave anyone much of a chance to befriend you. Just give it a few more days, and I'm sure they'll warm up to you."

That made sense. It was true that all four of them stayed together as much as they could manage, but who could blame them? They had been together for their entire lives, so opening up to new people was bound to be a little challenging. However, just as the thought crossed his mind, he met Chan's soft gaze and his dimpled smile, and Felix instinctively relaxed.

If Chan said it was going to be fine, then Felix had no reason to believe otherwise.

...

...

...

"Hey... Remember when we talked about getting rid of bodies—"

"Minho, no."

.

Wednesday was occupied with History of Magic in the morning, a free period, a double period of Charms, and the Discovery Course. The day went... as well as it could, and Felix couldn't help but feel a little disheartened as he started noticing a pattern in his day – History of Magic was stressful because of the teacher watching him like a hawk, he still couldn't cast a Charm successfully, and the students in Care of Magical Creatures weren't any nicer than they were the day before.

Thursday's schedule was a little easier to deal with. Felix was still amongst the average in Transfiguration, he absolutely adored Herbology, and the theory they explored in their double period of Potions was rather interesting. He was also starting to get used to the students' attitude in his Discovery Course and, as such, he started simply ignoring them and focusing on the class.

Finally, Friday came, bringing about the end of the week with a couple of classes they hadn't had the chance to receive just yet. They were kicking off the day with double period of Balance of the Magical Arts and, needless to say, all 1st years were quite excited to attend the class.

Balance of the Magical Arts (BMA) used to be known as Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) but, following the Great Wizarding War, the entire curriculum of the school was revised, and the board came to agree on the fact that maybe they went about it the wrong way.

Magic was magic. It wasn't inherently evil, saved for maybe one or two aspects of it, and most of the spells considered "dark" had been created with bad intentions, but it didn't make them bad – in the end, a spell was but a tool, and it was the wizards who wielded them who needed to be guided properly. So, instead of withholding information and pushing the students to satisfy their curiosity by themselves in an unsupervised environment, the board agreed on widening the curriculum and modifying the course – instead of teaching solely defense, they would teach the importance of balance in the magical community and explain how each use of magic has a price.

If students knew exactly what they were getting into when using magic for evil deeds, then a lot less would be tempted to use it out of curiosity, that much was obvious.

And so, BMA was created.

"Throughout the years, you will not only learn how to defend, attack, and counter, but also how to evaluate threats, and alternative ways of dealing with them should you find yourself unable to use magic," explained their teacher, Miss. Hwasa. "You will learn the importance of balance and, most importantly, the consequences of your actions should you decide to use what you learn for mischief or darker deeds."

It was an admittedly intimidating course, but also a very interesting one. Felix had never realized there were so many potential threats and dangers in their community. Even if the Great Wizarding War had long since ended, people still talked of Deatheaters and Voldemort as if they were the greatest enemy when, really, you had higher chance of getting killed by a plant than crossing paths with a Deatheater.

Felix was more than thankful for the fact that their first class was entirely dedicated to theory. He knew he' only mess up if he had a spell to cast, and he'd rather not cause trouble for the first BMA class like he did all the others.

.

Felix's broom had broken when he crashed and, since some paperwork needed to be filled before he could borrow one from the school, Felix was forced to sit on the sidelines for the next class. While the teacher guided the students through different practice drills, he sat on the grass and watched and, though relieved he wouldn't have to make a fool of himself again, he still felt a bit envious of the others who flew with so much ease.

Why is everything so hard for me...?

He tried his best to ignore the mocking looks the other students spared him as he walked back inside with his friends once class ended.

.

What was special about their Friday schedule was that, as soon as Flight was over, they had the rest of the afternoon off – meaning they could use that time to study, relax, or explore the castle some more. Since it was only the first week, they didn't have a lot of homework just yet, so they agreed to do it during the weekend and use their first afternoon off to explore to their hearts' content. The rest of their day was thus filled with fun, laughter, and all sorts of intriguing discoveries – namely the kitchens' secret entrance, and Felix promised himself to visit at a later date.

Another special thing about Friday was that they still had a class – Astronomy. Since it was all about the stars, however, it could only be given once night fell and, as such, the 1st years found themselves gathering up in the Astronomy Tower at exactly midnight for their last class of the week, which would last for an hour. For most, the initial excitement died down as their teacher, Mr. Yunho, droned on and on about the subject. For those who didn't have a particular interest in the subject, it was hard to focus and stay awake and, by the time class finally ended, over half of the group was half-asleep.

Needless to say, Felix, Jeongin, Jisung, and Seungmin quickly fell asleep upon returning to their dorm.

.

Weekends were free days for the students who usually used that time to do their homework, socialize, and participate in club activities. 2nd years and older were also allowed to visit Hogsmeade once every two weeks with parental permission. The student body thus had two full days to unwind, do their work, and enjoy themselves.

Seeing as club activities would only begin three weeks after the beginning of the school year, so as to give everyone interested enough time to join, their group of eight thus had a lot of time to hang out together – the 2nd years had already expressed their wishes to join different clubs, and the 1st years were also very interested, so they wouldn't see each other as much once clubs started.

But, until then, they could definitely have some fun.

"Let's play some quidditch!" exclaimed excitedly Hyunjin.

"Yeah!!!" cheered the other boys.

Chan had planned ahead and had asked the Home to send a new broom for Felix, meaning he would be able to play with them. He was admittedly a bit worried since he'd never used it before, but he'd rather get used to it while surrounded by his friends rather than in the middle of the class – it was less humiliating that way.

"Alright, let's pick teams—"

"I want Felix!" exclaimed Changbin, slinging an arm around the boy's shoulders.

"No fair, you always pick him," pouted Hyunjin. "I wanna be on his team too!"

"Me too, me too!" beamed Jeongin, raising his hand.

"Well that settles it – Hyunjin, Jeongin, Changbin, and Felix are together, and Minho, Seungmin, Jisung, and I will be on the opposite teams," concluded Chan before the others could start bickering.

Felix flushed a bit, both embarrassed and pleased by the outcome. Even if he sucked because of his meager flying abilities, the others were always quick to make him feel included and supporting him even if, more often than not, his team lost.

Changbin always picked him first, be it for quidditch or any other occasion they might need a team or a partner. He insisted on saying that Felix had unique abilities and just because his magic didn't entirely work the way it should didn't make him dysfunctional – if anything, it only ensured a more unique result! Changbin was basically the first person Felix had latched onto when first arriving at the Home. There was just something about the older that made Felix feel welcomed and, younger, the others liked to tease him about how much he idolized Changbin – pretty much like how Jisung idolized Chan today.

Felix couldn't really help it, though. Changbin was funny and smart, and he liked gardening almost as much as Felix did – though it was mostly because it was directly linked to his passion for brewing potions. He was always on the lookout for unusual ingredients, hoping to one day be able to invent potions of his own. So, Felix really looked up to Changbin. Even if he was one of the clumsiest members of their group, he was also most assuredly one of the smartest, and Felix hoped he'd be able to be as smart someday.

"Alright, let's get to it!" urged Jisung, climbing his room.

"Lix, you good if I guide you?" asked Changbin with a smile.

"Yeah, let's go!"

Pretty much all of the time, Felix used one hand to hold onto another's broom so he wouldn't have to worry about steering it himself and, once up in the air, it was a lot easier to keep the broom afloat. So, Felix usually took up the role of Batter since he could only use one hand. It certainly wasn't ideal for playing quidditch, and it was most assuredly against the rules, but none of them cared – so long as Felix got to play with them, the rest didn't matter.

.

Detentions were held on Saturday nights – it was meant as a punishment after all – and, as such, the four 1st years dragged their feet back to the classroom where their two-hour long detention would take place. Upon arriving, they found none other than Professor Sunmi already waiting for them.

"Hello, boys. Already causing trouble during the first week, are you?" she remarked, half-teasingly. "Professor Khan was quite... adamant about what type of punishment should be given but, seeing as it is only your first offense, it was decided that you would simply write lines this time around. Though I will not scold you, I will warn you that blatantly disrespecting a teacher of the sort won't be tolerated again."

Jisung clicked his tongue at that, crossing his arms over his chest. "With all due respect, ma'am, she asked for it. She yelled at Felix for no reason at all!"

"She treated him really unfairly," added quickly Jeongin. "We couldn't just stand by and do nothing, right?"

"Well, I suppose we could have gone about it a tad differently," relented Seungmin with a cringe. "But there's no point in crying over spilt milk at that point."

Professor Sunmi frowned a little. "I see... Felix, can you please tell me what exactly happened in class?"

"W- well... I was having a hard time focusing and I started doodling in my book...? I didn't even notice until she started yelling at me..." He lowered his eyes, his heart clenching at the memory. "I didn't mean to cause trouble. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," started firmly Jisung, squeezing his shoulder. "I'm the one who actually acted out – you didn't do anything wrong."

"But—"

Professor Sunmi heaved out a sigh. "I promise to have a talk with Professor Khan in regard to her temper. However, if anything of the sort ever happens again, please do not take matters into your own hands – come to me or any other teacher, and we will see what can be done about it. Alright?"

They all nodded quickly at that, glad they weren't being scolded any further, and Professor Sunmi then offered them a small grin.

"Good. Now get going."

There was a pause.

"Ma'am...?" asked Seungmin, confused.

"I don't usually do this, mind you, but... I can tell you didn't hold malicious intentions. You were only protecting your friend and, though your methods weren't necessarily appropriate, the intention was there. Plus, there's a special event for 1st years tonight, and I'd hate for you to miss it. So, get going – but if you end up in detention again, I won't be as generous!"

"Yes, ma'am!" beamed Jisung, offering her a salute.

"Thank you!" grinned Jeongin.

"We'll be more careful," promised Seungmin.

"We'll try not to cause trouble again," added Felix, relieved.

With a nod and a fond smile, the Vide-Head shooed them away and, not wasting any more time, they excitedly left the classroom. It would seem they were off the hook this time around, and Felix was relieved everything had turned out for the better after all.

"What's that special event, anyway?" then asked Jeongin. "I never heard of it."

"I think Hyunjin mentioned it in one of his letters last year," answered Seungmin, thinking it over. "There was a welcoming party held in the common area of the 1st years' dorm during their first week – it's probably a tradition or something."

"Oh, a party!" Jisung instantly grabbed Felix's hand, since he was the closest to him, and started running, effectively dragging him along. "Let's go!!!"

"Wha—Jisung!!!"

.

The moment they entered their common room, they were greeted with the sight of balloons, confetti, loud music, magical fireworks, and snacks – the party was already in full swing, and everyone looked like they were having a good time.

And, surprisingly enough, their arrival didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey! It's the troublemakers' squad!" exclaimed one of the boys with a friendly grin.

"Whoa! Did you guys skip your detention or something?" gasped one of the girls.

"No, no, nothing like that – Professor Sunmi let us off with a warning," quickly corrected Seungmin, a tad embarrassed.

"Good, you shouldn't have gotten in trouble for what happened. The old hag had it coming!" retorted the first boy, his grin widening. "You were really cool back there, Han!"

Jisung instantly flushed. "O- oh, it wasn't much..."

"Not much? You totally put her back in her place!"

"It was awesome!"

"Hey, let's be friends!"

Without much of a warning, the group of friends was swarmed with fellow students and, before Felix could even understand what was happening, they were getting separated by the crowd. In a matter of minutes, he found himself alone by one of the snack tables, gazing upon the common room with wide eyes.

Jisung had been dragged over to a couch and was surrounded by a bunch of students, and he was recounting his face-off with Professor Khan with a tad more dramatics than what was necessary. Jeongin was off by one of the other tables, discussing animatedly with three other students who probably shared his Discovery Course, and even Seungmin had been dragged into a conversation about their new classes.

No one seemed to want to approach him, though. He stood there awkwardly for a few seconds, unsure of what to do, and too anxious to approach anyone on his own – and every time he made eye contact with someone, he offered them an awkward smile, only for them to look away and ignore him.

They definitely don't like me...

Disheartened by the thought, what little excitement he'd felt about the party was promptly quashed and, not wanting to damper everyone's mood by sulking in the corner, he silently excused himself and returned to his room, figuring he could simply try to catch up on some of the lessons he'd missed earlier in the week. He changed into his pajamas then slipped into bed. He read the notes Seungmin had given him for about twenty minutes before eventually growing too agitated to focus, and he eventually settled for simply going to sleep early.

Barely a few minutes after he called it a night, though, he heard the door open.

"Felix...?"

It was Jisung. He was obviously coming to check up on him and, though the thought warmed Felix's heart, he didn't want Jisung to worry or miss the party because of him, so he simply decided to pretend being asleep, keeping his mouth shut and his back turned to the door. He heard the door close, but then soft footsteps padded over to his bed and, next thing he knew, Jisung was sitting on his mattress and pushing some hair out of his face.

"It's going to be okay, Lix," murmured Jisung, kissing his temple. "They'll warm up to you eventually, and they'll see just how amazing you are – and if they don't, then I'll kick their asses until they change their mind."

Felix couldn't hold back a small smile at that. Jisung chuckled upon seeing it, obviously understanding his friend wasn't asleep, but he didn't say anything and simply laid down on the bed with him. Felix rolled around and pulled him into a hug, and Jisung was all too happy to cuddle up to the freckled boy without another word.

Feeling much more at peace, Felix finally managed to drift off to sleep.

.

"Lia, your mark!"

The startled exclamation came out of absolutely nowhere and, instantly, all students turned around to find the source. They were in the middle of Potions, with the teacher's lecture having now been abruptly cut off by one of the girls in the back. Still, no one really cared at the moment because the other girl, Lia, was now gawking at her wrist, from which a faint glow was emanating.

"Well, it looks like someone's going to have an important talk after class, hm?" teased Professor Hyuna, obviously used to this kind of interruption. "But let's focus, everyone! You can gossip all you want once class is dismissed!"

They all quickly returned their attention to the lecture, though no one could really stop thinking about the incident.

Soul Marks. Some people sometimes called them "soulmate marks" but that wasn't exactly true. When a witch or a wizard fell in love with someone, then that someone's mark would appear somewhere on their body – the insides of the wrists were most common, but they could really appear anywhere – and that mark was a picture representing the person they'd fallen for. And, if that person eventually loved them back, then the mark would start glowing – and it'd keep on glowing until they touched each other's mark. It was a surefire way of confirming someone's feelings and, whenever it happened, everyone was pretty excited – who wouldn't be happy about two people finding true love?

It wasn't a permanent mark, however. If one's feelings died over time, then their mark would start fading away until, eventually, it completely disappeared. Feelings weren't something they could control, after all.

"I wonder what my mark looks like..."

Felix glanced to Jeongin, his trusted partner in Potions. "Didn't you use to date a girl back home?"

"Hmm, yeah, but we weren't in love with each other. We just figured that if it worked out, then the marks would appear over time, but she eventually found someone else and I wasn't that interested to begin with," shrugged Jeongin.

"Oh. Well, what do you think it is?"

"I don't know... A fox, maybe? I like foxes."

Felix chuckled. "It would definitely suit you... What about me?"

At that, Jeongin grinned. "A sun! 'Cause you're our little sunshine~!"

Felix flushed a bit at that, and Jeongin laughed, poking his reddening cheek.

Jeongin was the youngest of their group, and also the last one who joined them. He was a sweet boy, and absolutely everyone adored him. He was particularly interested in Astronomy and Divination, and he'd made a hobby of researching anything related to the Soul Marks, deeply intrigued by the intricate and seemingly natural magic behind it. He was quick of mind and also quick to get into trouble, knowing he could get away with pretty much anything so long as he played his puppy eyes right, but that was only part of his numerous charms.

Felix and him shared a special bond because even though Jeongin was the youngest, Felix was the one most babied by the group, what with his sweet personality and his issues with controlling his magic. Jeongin didn't particularly enjoyed being treated differently just because he was the youngest (though he tolerated it from Felix because the freckled boy was just too nice) but he did like being relied on – something only Felix did, uncaring of their very mild age difference

(Unlike the others who always teased him and babied him.)

"What do you think my mark would be, then?" asked Jeongin, relenting on the teasing.

"Hmm... A Gnome Tree!"

"A Gnome Tree?" echoed Jeongin, confused.

"Yeah, because it might be small, but its roots are the strongest in the world, meaning you can always rely on its wood without fearing it'll cave in or break!"

Jeongin stared at his friends for a few seconds, dumbstruck, then reached out and roughly ruffled his hair, ignoring the squawk of protest the other let out and hoping Felix hadn't noticed the heat creeping up Jeongin's neck.

.

"Look alive, peasants – I have news to share!"

Everyone exchanged unsure glances before reporting their attention to Minho, who'd just joined them for lunch. He had a wide grin stretching his lips, and they had no way of knowing if they should be afraid or happy for him.

"What's going on, Minho?" asked Felix, curious.

"I've been offered an apprenticeship this summer!"

Instantly, the mood in their corner of the table shifted.

"What? That's amazing!"

"Congratulations, Minho!"

"So soon? That's incredible!"

"What does it entail, exactly?" asked Chan.

"Well, if I accept it, then I'll be leaving a week before the end of the year to go on a seminar in Hawaii – as it turns out, they have lots of cursed caves in that place." Still grinning, Minho sat down and stole one of Changbin's meat buns. "The only things I need to do in order to be allowed to go is A) pass all of my classes and B) be able to summon a familiar before the given time limit. Easy-peasy!"

"A familiar?" repeated Jisung, quirking a brow. "Isn't that, like, super complicated and difficult to do? Are you sure you'll be able to do it?"

"Well, my BMA teacher seems to think I should be 'cause he gave me all of the books and notes I'll need to prepare the ritual," reasoned Minho, his lips twitching into a smirk. "Also, I have no intention of screwing this up. This is my chance, guys! This apprenticeship is as good as mine."

"Well, good for you," smiled Chan, patting his shoulder. "If you need any help, feel free to come to us, hm? We'll do our best to help out."

"Thanks, but I won't need this. I'm going to nail this assignment!"

Something Felix truly admired in Minho was his unlimited amount of confidence. It could often be mistaken as arrogance, but the point was that Minho could easily back up all of his claims – he was simply aware of his own limits and, well, he didn't have many. 

Minho was someone Felix greatly admired and respected. Felix had been a little scared of him when they first met because of his personality and intimidating aura, but he'd quickly warmed up to the older when he realized he was a softie inside – he just didn't show it often.

Felix used to have nightmares a lot, he was an easily scared kid, so Minho had taken upon himself to tuck him into bed and sometimes sleep with him with the promise to keep the monsters at bay. Felix trusted Minho with his life and, whenever Minho hugged him, he felt safe and relaxed, almost instantly going lax in the older's embrace.

It was probably due to the fact that Minho was, without a doubt, one of the most powerful wizards in the Home. Despite his age, he was already considered a prodigy in the field of curse breaking, and his interest in the subject was never-ending. He loved the scare and the danger, and the thrill of going further than anyone's been able to go before – in short, this apprenticeship was basically a dream come true.

"We'll be cheering for you!" beamed Felix. "Fighting!"

Minho's smirk softened into a smaller, genuine smile at that. "Thanks, Lix."

.

"—which is why a wand is required to channel our magic and why unspoken spells are so difficult to master."

A heavy silence followed as Seungmin let out a small breath. He'd taken a full five minutes to explain in detail what he'd learned and maybe, just maybe, he'd been a little too thorough in seeking to answer Mister Siwon's question.

But he couldn't help it! Despite appearances, Seungmin was the type of person who got easily insecure, in the sense that he felt like he'd let people down if he couldn't offer the utmost perfection. It was an unfortunate trait of personality because living with the constant pressure of never doing a mistake put a great strain on one's mind, but he was certainly doing better than he was when he first joined the orphanage.

Despite his intelligence, Seungmin never felt the need to show off – he hated being the center of attention. And yet, at the same time, being acknowledged by other people was what kept him going so really, it was a bit of a complicated mess. Felix had always had a soft spot for Seungmin. He was one of his closest friends amongst the group, and he never judged Felix whenever the older confided in him. He was the kind of person who valued logic above emotions in most circumstances, so he was really good with offering an unbiased opinion and giving advice.

"That was an absolutely stunning explanation, Seungmin," praised Mister Siwon, grinning from ear to ear. "If you keep going like that, I'll have to go the Headmaster myself and ask for the 1st years to be allowed to join the House Cup Tournament, 'cause I don't think I can go a full year without giving you points!"

The tips of Seungmin's ears burned as he lowered his head, mumbling out a quick "thank you" and trying to avoid the pointed stares of the other students. His know-it-all attitude often grated on the nerves of other people – the muggle classes he'd attended before Hogwarts hadn't exactly been a fun experience on the social aspect.

And, just as he feared, a few of the students cornered him when they left the class.

"Hey, Seungmin!"

"Wait up!"

Felix instantly grabbed his hand as Seungmin froze, memories of past bullying events replaying themselves in his head. He thought it'd be different here but—

"You were great back there!" beamed Daehwi. "I don't know how you do it, remembering all of that stuff."

"We were wondering if you'd be willing to help us out with the lessons?" added Jessi with a hopeful smile.

"You... want me to help you...?" repeated Seungmin, a tad taken aback.

"Yeah, of course! You're the smartest student in our year, that much is obvious – if anyone can help us, it's you!"

At bit at a loss as to what to do, Seungmin glanced back to his friends, who were patiently waiting for him to finish up so they could head to their next class. Noticing his mild panic, Jisung was quick to take over.

"He'd love to! How about you guys meet up in the common room Saturday afternoon – let's say 2PM?"

"Alright, we'll be there!" grinned Daehwi. He reached out to pat Seungmin's shoulder. "Thanks a lot, Minnie! See you later!"

"Mi- Minnie!?"

But Daehwi and Jessi were already hurrying up for the next class, leaving a slightly dumbstruck Seungmin behind. After a moment of silence, Jeongin clicked his tongue.

"I'll come too. If they try to pressure him into doing their homework for him—"

"They won't." The boys glanced at Felix, who had a small smile on his lips as he stared after the pair. "They weren't lying."

Jisung quirked a brow. "How'd you figure that?"

"I don't know how. I just... I just know." His smiled widened as he squeezed Seungmin's hand. "It's going to be great, Minnie. I think you'll get along nicely."

Seungmin visibly relaxed at that and, glad things had turned out for the better, the boys finally went on their way to their next class.

.

It was time to pick a club to join but, after much reflection upon the matter, Felix knew exactly what he wanted to do.

"You want to receive remedial lessons...?"

He nodded, biting his lower lip. "It's only the third week and... I'm already falling behind with most of my subjects. I have- I have the theory down, but I need- I need more guidance for the practical aspects. I- I understand that you have better to do in your free time, but—"

"No, no, it's quite alright, Felix," quickly assured Professor Sunmi, leaning back in her seat with a pensive expression. "You wouldn't be the first student in need of remedial lesson, but you are the first one to actively seek them out – your request took me by surprise, is all. But you said you need help with all subjects?"

Felix cringed. "Most of them, yeah."

"Unfortunately, you'll understand that I cannot have all of the teachers working extra hours on the weekends. If it was only one, it'd be easy to accommodate, but..." She trailed off, thinking over something before finally perking up. "Ah, I might have an idea. Give me a few days, and I'll come back to you with, hopefully, a solution."

Felix's shoulders slumped a bit as he exhaled, relieved. "Thank you, Professor."

"Of course. Anything for our students."

.

When Felix told the others about his plans, he received mixed reactions. His fellow 1st years were disappointed he wouldn't join a club after all while the 2nd years wished they could be of more help but, ultimately, they all agreed that it was probably for the best and that it could only help him, in the end.

"Still, I'll feel bad if I don't do anything," admitted Chan as they walked along the lake, taking in some much-needed fresh air and sunlight. "Tell you what, you have the Friday afternoons off, right? Let's meet up then so I can help you out."

"Chan, you don't have to—"

"I want to. I care about you, Lix, and I want to help you," insisted gently the older, patting his head. "Extra tutoring sessions won't hurt, and it'll finally give me the motivation I need to sit down and do my homework, too. We're both winners in this!"

Felix cracked a smile at that, then pulled his friend into a hug. "Thank you."

"Of course, Lix."

Chan was the oldest of their group and the one who called the shots whenever a group decision needed to be made. They all instinctively relied on him because he was just, well... Chan. He was good at everything, he could do anything, he was smart and kind and caring and he felt like home and he gave the best hugs—

Yeah, no, Chan was positively too good for this world, and Felix knew they were extremely lucky to be able to consider him a friend. The freckled boy had long since deemed him his brother in all but blood, and he knew he could always count on Chan no matter what.

Chan had been the first to acknowledge Felix as family. He'd introduced him to some older friends of his as "his precious little brother" so naturally and without warning it had made Felix cry, and then had he spent the rest of the day clinging to the older. Chan was, without a doubt, one of the most important people in Felix's life, and he was once again reminded of why he always felt so grateful toward the older.

.

"Happy birthday!!!"

After receiving special permission to gather in the kitchens past curfew, all eight of the boys had gathered a little before midnight to celebrate the almost shared birthday of Jisung and Felix, who were now celebrating their 16th birthdays.

Jisung was basically Felix's twin. He was Felix's other half, and everyone agreed to say that they were simply meant to meet and be together. They had so much in common, the others often joking about a shared braincell, and they simply... completed each other. Jisung was almost as cuddly as Felix, and he never held back on physical affection with the freckled boy, aware that Felix positively thrived on it. Jisung was special, and Felix... well, Felix had a little secret in the shape of a sunflower located on his lower back, which he'd never told anyone about and which he intended to keep a secret.

He couldn't tell when exactly he fell for Jisung. They'd always been incredibly close, sharing practically everything, and Felix figured it had been a progressive thing – he woke up two years ago with that mark, and he instantly knew it was Jisung's, there was no doubt about it. Be it his gummy, heart-shaped smile, or his contagious laugh, or his ability to just make Felix smile no matter how down he might be feeling...

Jisung was wickedly smart. He'd always been one for jokes and pranks, and he always came up with all sorts of ludicrous schemes that shouldn't even work, but somehow always did. He was determined and quick-witted, always the first to step up and defend his friends because they were the most important people in his life. He was so, so talented, too. Felix was always in awe of just how many talents Jisung displayed. The boy idolized Chan almost comically and, sometimes, Felix wondered if that idolization might be blinding him to his own abilities and worth.

Yes, Jisung was special. And, as the pair blew their candles together, Felix felt an all-too-familiar warmth spread through his chest. With Jisung hugging his side and their friends cheering around them, Felix could only feel happy.

"Here, Lix! Happy birthday!"

Jisung was grinning as he handed Felix the little box. Felix had already given him his gift by baking him a special cheesecake since it was Jisung's favorite, and he was curious as to what Jisung had gotten him. His mouth dropped when he opened the box and found a thin bracelet made of braided black leather with a gold design tangled in the strands, and a single golden charm – a sun.

"Look, we match!"

Jisung lifted his wrist, and it's only then that Felix noticed the bracelet he was wearing. It was the exact same as his, except that Jisung's had a silver design instead of a golden one, and his charm was also made of silver – a crescent moon. Felix couldn't help but feel a little choked up at the beautiful gift, and he promptly pulled Jisung into a hug before he could see the tears he was trying to hold back.

"Ah, you crybaby... It's not that big a deal..." Oh, so he'd seen them after all.

"Shut up," croaked out Felix, holding him tighter. "I love it. Thank you."

"Of course, Lix. I love you."

"Love you too."

It wasn't the love Felix deeply wished for, but he certainly wasn't about to complain. And, as Jisung tied the bracelet around his wrist and their friends started cheering about cutting the cake, he felt at peace.

No matter how difficult the year might get, he'd be fine so long as he had them with him.

.

.

.

Don't worry, the promised pain will begin next chapter, so please look forward to it~