{M}ℝ𝕦𝕟 𝔸𝕨𝕒𝕪 | ✨𝕐𝕖𝕠𝕟𝕘𝕪𝕦 & 𝕊𝕠𝕠𝕜𝕒𝕚✨

Chapter 50

"Also, don't feel intimated by them."

"Taehyun, I grew up with three boys around me. How bad can it be?" Chaeryeong said, holding out a hand filled with flowers for Taehyun to pick and braid into her hair.

"I know. But they're a whole new level of unusual," Taehyun replied, braiding another flower into Chaeryeong's brown hair.

It was the first phase of Beomgyu and Yeonjun's ceremony, which consisted of the couple spending a full night with a selection of friends to celebrate together. It was a weird way of celebrating if you asked him, but Taehyun was all about hanging out with his non-Earth Tribe friends. . . The only thing that stood out to him was bringing a date with him.

He wasn't planning on introducing Chaeryeong to Kai, Soobin, or Beomgyu tonight since he had preferred to go alone and put up with being the two couple's 5th-wheel.

Nonetheless, Yeonjun—like the great brotherly figure that he was, went ahead and forced Taehyun to bring her either way.

"I'm not bringing her, Dad." Taehyun had hissed with his arms folded across his chest. "They'll make fun of me!"

"Taehyun, we'll make fun of you either way. So, it's either you bring her, or I tell the others about you and her." Yeonjun had said while sharpening his weapons with a small blade. He then looked up and gave Taehyun a crude glare. "And don't call me Dad. I'm your Hyung. Nothing else."

"But-" Taehyun had tried to protest about bringing Chaeryong with him, but the thought of his pride being broken by his friends' mild teasing made him run to Chaeryeong and tell her that she was coming with him to Yeonjun's nightly celebration.

"Taehyun, you're making them sound like savages." Chaeryeong turned her head around as her Suitor lifted his hands into the air. "Because they are! Soobin and Beomgyu literally tried to eat me when we got introduced to one another!"

Taehyun's mind went to ten years ago where Soobin held him down while Beomgyu proceeded to trap him—and possibly cook him medium rare, in a tight ring of fire before two of their caretakers stepped in and separated the trio.

A snort of laughter came from Chaeryeong, making Taehyun arch his brow and let out a tiny pout. "Why're laughing?"

"I'm not laughing."

"You are."

"I don't think so."

"But I heard you—"

"Taehyun!"

"What?!"

"Relax." Taehyun pouted once more when Chaeryeong's soft hands pressed against his cheeks, her light brown eyes meeting his leaf-green colored ones. Taehyun stared into her orbs, finding them quite comforting and a bit. . . Familiar. He let out a sigh and finally let his shoulders drop as he took a deep breath and finally let it out.

The two were planning on staying like that until the lichen parted to reveal Yeonjun's head poking inside the den. His antlers were decorated with purple, white, and orange flowers that contrasted with his blue cape and attire.

But upon seeing the two being so close together, the older halted. "Did I interrupt something?"

"NO!" The two youngsters almost screeched, immediately moving away from each other as the Head Warrior tilted his head at them. A small smile of amusement spread over his face, and his eyebrow lifted slightly. "The moon's at its highest point already. We should go now."